POND
Toast
Spinning Top Records
POND have been killing it lately, coming off the heels of two excellent singles in the dank and restless Pink Lunettes and the simultaneously funky and epic America’s Cup. These and current single Toast are teasers for the upcoming album 9, a set of (surprise) nine songs which are set for release on October 1. POND are looking to channel punk’s short-and-succinct approach to songcraft for this release, and indeed none of these songs overstay their welcome.
Sound-wise however, the band are certainly not reverting back to three chords, instead taking their sound further into eighties worship territory. Latest teaser single Toast is a lush AOR-styled ballad that would make Bryan Ferry shed a tear. With its sumptuous synth pads, digitized bass and snatches of clean guitar, this track wouldn’t go amiss on a Foreigner album. A sax solo is even thrown in for good measure.
For those that go to POND for their pop smarts, this track may disappoint. Its languid melody goes in one ear and out the other, and while the vintage eighties instrumentation is on point it’s also well-worn territory. The lyrics are clever though, a pun on “Toast” as both a cheers and an acknowledgement of impending doom. Given POND’s sentiments on climate change, one wonders if it’s referring to being burnt to a literal crisp.
MATIJA ZIVKOVIC
